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E-mail StoryMcCarthy to succeed Thomas in Washington
| Wednesday, Nov 8 2006 1:45 AM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Nov 8 2006 2:58 AM
No surprises here.
Photos:
Kevin McCarthy, left, and retiring Congressman Bill Thomas, right, check on early election results Tuesday night.
Kevin McCarthy nailed the 22nd Congressional District seat Tuesday. McCarthy scored more than 70 percent of the vote, according to the state elections Web site.
His opponent, Democrat Sharon Beery of Arroyo Grande, could not immediately be reached for comment.
McCarthy looked relaxed as he strolled into the former Rockin’ Rodeo on Rosedale Highway, where the Kern County Republican Party hosted its Election Day bash.
He shrugged off the fact he was likely headed to a House led by Democrats.
“I serve in the minority up in Sacramento and I’ve been very effective with that,” he said.
Also on hand was Bill Thomas, the retiring congressman whose seat McCarthy will inherit.
For a time, Thomas and McCarthy hunched over computers in a makeshift war room to monitor election results around the country.
Thomas, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, said he served as a minority member for 16 years.
McCarthy’s squeaky-clean status could also help him become a star in Washington, observers say.
Matt Brady, chairman of the Kern County Republican Party, said a passing-of-the-torch speech from Thomas to McCarthy was possible later in the evening.
He’d set up a microphone in case the attendees were so moved.
“They’re politicians,” Brady added, “so they’re probably going to speak.”
Brady also joked about the venue, a former nightclub known for a rowdy and sometimes violent crowd.
It was one of the few sites large enough for the gathering, he said.
“The Rockin’ Republicans,” Brady said. “That’s what we are tonight.”